# Allan Cockram

Allan Charles Cockram (born 8 October 1963) is an English retired professional footballer who played in the Football League for Tottenham Hotspur, Bristol Rovers, Brentford and Reading as a midfielder or winger. He later player-managed St Albans City and Chertsey Town in non-League football. Cockram is currently manager of Cambridge University.

## Playing career

A winger, Cockram joined Tottenham Hotspur as a schoolboy in 1975 and went on to make two first team appearances for the Lilywhites towards the end of the 1983–84 season. He was released at the end of the 1984–85 season and a two-year period followed as a football nomad, which included short periods playing for Bristol Rovers and Farnborough Town and two spells in the United States. A move to Isthmian League Premier Division club St Albans City during the latter part of the 1986–87 season, in a bid to return to fitness following an achilles injury, proved to be the turning point in Cockram's career. He was voted the Saints' Player of the Year at the end of the 1987–88 season.
After a successful period training full-time with Brentford during the 1987–88 season, Cockram signed a contract with the club in March 1988. He made 118 appearances and scored 17 goals for the club before his release at the end of the 1990–91 season. After a spell back in non-League football with Woking, Cockram made a return to the Football League with Reading in October 1991 and rejoined St Albans City prior to the beginning of the 1992–93 season. He remained at Clarence Park until the end of 1995–96 season and scored 73 goals in 211 appearances across his six seasons with the club. Cockram finished his career with spells at non-League clubs Chertsey Town and Leatherhead.

## Managerial and coaching career

Cockram player-managed non-League clubs St Albans City and Chertsey Town. He was later a technical specialist at Philadelphia Union and coached at University College London. In 2019, he became manager of Cambridge University.
In 2017, Cockram established Brentford Penguins, a Down Syndrome football club. A documentary film about the club, entitled Mighty Penguins, was released in 2023. Fellow former footballer David Beckham, and his son Romeo, met the Mighty Penguins team in September 2023, and presented Cockram with The Sun's Who Cares Wins Unsung Hero Award.

## International career

Cockram represented England Youth.

## Personal life

Cockram worked as a firefighter in west London and later became a businessman.

## Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1983–84 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| Bristol Rovers | 1985–86 | Third Division | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| St Albans City | 1986–87 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 13 | 6 |
| St Albans City | 1987–88 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 33 | 21 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 8 | 42 | 29 |
| St Albans City | Total | Total | 44 | 25 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 10 | 55 | 35 |
| Brentford | 1987–88 | Third Division | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 2 |
| Brentford | 1988–89 | Third Division | 37 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 51 | 10 |
| Brentford | 1989–90 | Third Division | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | 31 | 2 |
| Brentford | 1990–91 | Third Division | 20 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | 29 | 3 |
| Brentford | Total | Total | 90 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 1 | 118 | 17 |
| Reading | 1991–92 | Third Division | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| St Albans City | 1992–93 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 35 | 12 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 4 | 58 | 19 |
| St Albans City | 1993–94 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 28 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 2 | 39 | 9 |
| St Albans City | 1994–95 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 4 | 32 | 6 |
| St Albans City | 1995–96 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | 25 | 4 |
| St Albans City | Total | Total | 142 | 50 | 9 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 60 | 20 | 211 | 73 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 241 | 65 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 21 | 341 | 91 |
* ↑ Includes FA Cup
* ↑ Includes Football League Cup
* ↑ 1 appearance and 2 goals in Herts Charity Cup, 1 appearance in Wallspan Floodlit Cup
* ↑ 2 appearances and 3 goals in Herts Charity Cup, 2 appearances and 2 goals in Isthmian League Cup, 2 appearances and 1 goal in Herts Senior Cup, 1 appearance in FA Trophy, 1 appearance in General Motors Acceptance Challenge Cup, 1 appearance and 2 goals in Wycombe Floodlight Cup
* 1 2 3 4 Appearances in Football League Trophy
* ↑ 4 appearances and 1 goal in FA Trophy, 3 appearances in Herts Charity Cup, 3 appearances in East Anglian Cup, 2 appearances and 1 goal in Herts Senior Cup, 2 appearances in Eastern Floodlight Cup, 1 appearance in Isthmian League Cup, 1 appearance and 1 goal in Isthmian League Full Members Cup, 1 appearance and 1 goal in Billy Minter Trophy
* ↑ 3 appearances and 1 goal in Isthmian League Cup, 3 appearances in Isthmian League Full Members Cup, 1 appearance in FA Trophy, 1 appearance and 1 goal in Herts Charity Cup, 1 appearance in Herts Senior Cup, 1 appearance in East Anglian Cup
* ↑ 3 appearances in Isthmian League Cup, 2 appearances in FA Trophy, 2 appearances and 1 goal in Herts Charity Cup, 2 appearances in Herts Senior Cup, 2 appearances and 1 goal in London Challenge Cup, 2 appearances and 1 goal in East Anglian Cup, 2 appearances and 1 goal in Eastern Floodlight Cup, 1 appearance in Isthmian League Full Members Cup
* ↑ 2 appearances in FA Trophy, 2 appearances in East Anglian Cup, 1 appearance in Eastern Floodlight Cup

## Honours

St Albans City
* Herts Charity Cup: 1986–87
Individual
* St Albans City Player of the Year: 1987–88